By Skies Magazine | May 2, 2013 Estimated reading time 8 minutes, 38 seconds.
On April 9, the Canadian aviation industry was abuzz over rumours that Porter Airlines was about to announce a purchase of Bombardier CSeries CS100 airliners. Everyone was wondering where those jets would be based. Porter’s home at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (CYTZ) has had a jet ban in place since 1983 because of extreme noise restrictions, and its short 4,000-foot runway posed another potential roadblock. The CS100 requires a 4,400 foot landing distance under standard operating weights. Would short-field ops be profitable for Porter? This led to further speculation that Porter may open another base, perhaps at Pearson International or Montreal Trudeau. The airline held off all questions until a press conference at CYTZ on April 10.
Porter’s plan to jump into the jet world is big news. The carrier’s order was first announced last Dec. 19, when Bombardier said an unidentified customer in the Americas had signed a letter of intent for up to 30 CS100 aircraft.
On April 9, Porter signed a conditional purchase order for 12 CS100s with options for 18 more, making it the first Canadian carrier to sign on to operate Bombardier’s new jet – just as it was the first airline in this country to fly the OEM’s Q400. Like Jazz, Porter will operate an exclusively Canadian-built fleet of turboprop and jet aircraft. If all goes well, deliveries are expected in 2016. However, there are two big hurdles to cross before that happens.
The Tripartite Agreement between the City of Toronto, the federal government and the Toronto Port Authority was signed in 1983 and is valid until 2033. It stipulates that jet traffic will only be allowed into Toronto’s island airport for medevac or emergency flights. The restriction was put in place to curb excessive jet noise over the city’s waterfront.
New geared turbofan (GTF) engine technology has significantly reduced the noise produced by the Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1500G powerplant, which will propel the CSeries. The new engine will make the aircraft the quietest commercial jet in production. But will it be enough to meet the stringent noise guidelines at the island? Pratt & Whitney’s Mary Ellen Jones, vice president of global customer support and Americas sales, commercial engines, is confident it will meet or even be quieter than the Q400 now operating from Billy Bishop.
The PW1500G also offers a 20 per cent fuel burn advantage over comparable engines, with 50 per cent less nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. The engine received Transport Canada approval in February of this year. The CSeries will be the launch aircraft for the engine, but four other applications are in the works.
Porter extols the virtues of the new aircraft, calling the CSeries a whisper jet that was unimaginable 30 years ago when the Tripartite Agreement was written. The airline hopes the new super-quiet engine will meet expectations and that an amendment to the agreement can be negotiated. It also reasons that the longer CS100 routes, some four to five hours in length, will mean relatively few jet arrivals and departures at Billy Bishop, compared to existing Q400 traffic.
Porter is also proposing a second amendment to the agreement, which will require the lengthening of the main 4,000-foot runway at Billy Bishop by 550 feet at each end. The resulting 5,100-foot runway would accommodate the CSeries’ minimum landing requirements. According to Porter, the runway extensions will not impact the existing marine boundaries of the airport, falling within its current watercraft exclusion zone.
Porter hopes it can make its case with the Tripartite signatories in time to have both amendments completed by the end of this year.
Toronto Mayor Rob Ford is on record as supporting Porter’s expansion plans, although the rest of council could be a different story. For its part, the Toronto Port Authority (TPA) released a statement on April 10, after the Porter announcement, that it will not consider any change of use to the airport until a determination is first made by the elected representatives on Toronto City Council regarding Porter’s proposed changes to the 1983 Tripartite Agreement.
As for the federal government, industry experts believe it is likely to approve Porter’s plan, given the fact that it has already financially supported the development of the CSeries aircraft.
In an interview on April 10, Porter president and CEO, Robert Deluce, told Canadian Skies that over the last seven years, Porter has established a loyal customer base and a track record of responsible and respectful operation.
At the end of the day we are hopeful we can convince all of city council and Mayor Ford to look at, consider and approve the plans we have set out here today, said Deluce. We also need the approval of the other two members in the Tripartite Agreement – the federal government and the Toronto Port Authority. We’ll enter into a very respectful, open, and transparent dialogue, and provide them with all the information they need to make a very thoughtful, considered decision in terms of whether they want these benefits to flow to Toronto.
Deluce also pointed out that a 2012 study done by the Toronto Port Authority identified that the airport brings a $2 billion annual economic benefit to the city of Toronto. Even more benefits can be realized now with the CS100 order, he said. It means 1,000 jobs to Porter; it supports the 2,000 jobs already dedicated to the CSeries program; and, additionally, with the six Q400 NextGen options announced today, it helps supports the 4,000 Bombardier employees in Toronto at Downsview.
Porter’s CS100s would be built in a 107-seat business/economy mix, with five seats abreast in economy. The possibility of operating the jets at another airport was not mentioned during the Porter press conference, and is presumably not an option.
If all goes well, Porter will join 14 airlines who have already ordered the CSeries. The CS100 would expand the operator’s destinations from the current 19 to include others such as Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, California, Florida and the Caribbean – effectively making Porter Canada’s third national airline.
